wiretapping
Secret line listening
Wiretapping is secretly monitoring telephone or electronic communications, typically by law enforcement or intelligence agencies.
The term comes from physically tapping into telephone wires, though modern surveillance intercepts digital signals: The FBI obtained a warrant for wiretapping the suspect's phone.
Illegal wiretapping is a crime in most jurisdictions.
Ongoing observation of something
- interceptionSeizing something in transit
- buggingSecretly recording conversations
- listeningAttending to sound
- recordingCaptured audio or video
snooping · tracking · eavesdropping · watching · scanning · oversight · government · agency
Forbidden by statute
- felonySerious criminal offense
- warrantFormal authorization document
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
conviction · court · FISA · Watergate · Nixon · whistleblower · Snowden · lawsuit
Covert information gatherer
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- counterintelligenceDefense against enemy espionage
- agentOne who acts independently
- operativeCovert field agent
Audio input device
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- tapValve controlling liquid flow
- bugCrawling creature or defect
signal · encryption · interception · telephone · landline · cellphone · antenna · frequency
Voice communication device
- conversationExchange of spoken ideas
- callContact by phone
- interceptSeize en route
- transmissionSending of information
network · telecom · voice · data · message · signal · recording · transcript
monitoring
Ongoing observation of something
- interceptionSeizing something in transit
- buggingSecretly recording conversations
- listeningAttending to sound
recording · snooping · tracking · eavesdropping · watching · scanning · oversight · government · agency · warrant
illegal
Forbidden by statute
prosecution · conviction · court · FISA · Watergate · Nixon · whistleblower · Snowden · lawsuit · defendant
spy
Covert information gatherer
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- counterintelligenceDefense against enemy espionage
- agentOne who acts independently
operative · mole · informant · CIA · NSA · FBI · KGB · MI5 · covert · clandestine
microphone
Audio input device
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- tapValve controlling liquid flow
bug · signal · encryption · interception · telephone · landline · cellphone · antenna · frequency · analog
telephone
Voice communication device
- conversationExchange of spoken ideas
- callContact by phone
- interceptSeize en route
transmission · network · telecom · voice · data · message · signal · recording · transcript · metadata
- Security Attackshacking, intrusion, phishing, spoofing, brute force
- crimesarson, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, vandalism
- criminal investigationsinvestigations, crime scene, crime scenes, crime scene investigation, crime scene analysis
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- wrongdoingmisconduct, crime, sabotage, crimes, misbehavior
- investigationinvestigation, detective, evidence, clue, case
wiretappingencryption
Converting data into code
secure communication · end-to-end encryption · privacy protection · data protection · secure messaging
wiretappingprivacy rights
Entitlement to personal seclusion
communication privacy · civil liberties · right to privacy · confidentiality · attorney-client privilege